BOUNDARY COMMISSION

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14601, 26 February 1921, Page 6

BOUNDARY COMMISSION

PROCEEDINGS AT TE AWAMUTU. (From Our Travelling Reporter.) The Boundary Commission set, up t> make recommendations as regards th • .lit.•ration of bound tries in the King Country'district was continued at Tc Awamutu yesterday. Mr W. R. McKean, S.M., presided. Ihe ot ier commissioners 1 i ing Messrs. Short ,-.nd Maridcno. A summary of wh<)< had taken place

i ('tween Ihe various local bodies since the matter was first mooted in August. l.Ci, was furnished by Mr F. Phillips.. , f Otorohanga, who l nd acted as clerk ~: the various conferences and had 111 hi., possession the various records and correspondence doah' g with the mailer. Mr Phillips stated "at for some time previous to the above date it had been i •coming more and more evident to the Wmtonio, Kawhia nnJ Awakino Count> Councils that some considerable adjustment of their houndancs was becoming more and more desirable. Joint control of certain roads and the complications arising from the fact that the sutlers in Kawhia, Awakino and West Taupo counties had l,:i use considerable lengths of Waitomo County roads to get to their outlet on the railway necessitated the councils reeting on various o casions to discus- end adjust these matters.

At a conference of the Waitomo, Kawhia and Awakino County Councils ,i motion was passed that the time was opportune fur the alteration of the boundaries of the sur.ounding counties;

also that the West I'.uipo County as s whole should be made operative in order to give effect Id the suggeslirm to alter boundaries of the various counties bordering on the West Taupo County.

Speaking generally, it was suggested that on the western side of the railway line, instead of there being as at present the whole of two counties [Kawhia .a.d Awakino) and a large portion of a third Waitomo), thft there should be only two counties, each of them ex-L-mling from the railway to the coast, •.. t!i Ihe dividing line running approxi • iii-ilclv west from Te Kuili. It was fu?tlifi' suggested that the portion of th« Waitomo County now situated on th. eastern side of the railway should, with a considerable portion of West Taupo

County, form another county on t!io side of the railway, the boundaries 1 ■ ho adjusted according lo tlic community of interest, which might mean tliat portions of West Taupo County would >■■ absorbed by counties other than Wailomo. If this suggestion were given effect to it. would mean the formation of three counties in place of four, in c-icli of which there would ho complete community of interest, and in which the ratepayers would bo paying- for and ccnlrolling tlic metaling and maintenance of the roads they use. It woulo ylso be the means of removing certain injustices similar to those mentioned already which were i ow being experlanced by other counties with regard to • lie inoperative West Taupo County. The natural outlet tor Hie northern portion of West Taupo was Tc Aw.imiilii. and to reservi comnuinitj of interest, which was 'he whole idea of iI• * - proposed adjustment, lids portion would prohahl} lie included in the Waipi i.ounly. The mMtin's concerned had e\piTSSi'd llieir desiiC lo lie include,! in the \\ aipa County and |he Waipa i: ninly i lonni'il was prepared to t ike lhem m. 'I he southern portion of West Taupo Nad no roinniiinilj "'' interest with the northern portion; all its interests lay I 'wards Tmiiuai'iMni, and the settlers (here proposed forming a new county. Considerable evidence, of a more or less technical nature was heard yesterc.i.y. Further evidence is being taken to-day. The Commission will sit a! j'e Kuiti on Monday.